Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

the next day.

The morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains.

A thin strand fell to the foot of the bed.

Elvia opened her eyes.

She stared at the ceiling for a long time.

That was an unfamiliar ceiling.

It's made of wood, has a few cracks, and there's a water stain in the corner.

She blinked.

Then, she felt it.

Beneath the blanket lay smooth skin.

And there's that warm body next to me.

Her face flushed red instantly.

His fingers gripped the corner of the blanket so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

She didn't move.

He just stared at the ceiling, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

Last night...

No, she did it on her own initiative.

She washed herself clean and lay in bed waiting.

It was she who said that we should sign that contract to die together.

It was she who said she wanted to tie him to her boat.

but……

Even after it actually happened, she was still somewhat at a loss.

She turned her head to the side.

My gaze fell on that sleeping face.

Black, tousled hair lay scattered on the pillow, with a few strands falling across his forehead.

Her eyelashes were long, casting a small shadow under her eyelids.

He had a high nose bridge and slightly pursed lips.

She slept very peacefully.

Elvia stared at his face for a long time.

This was the first time she had looked at him so closely.

Previously, in the capital of Carter, in the city of Caran, and in the Withered Rift.

She had seen him many times.

But each time it was just a fleeting glance, or during a tense standoff.

Never before has it been like this.

Quietly and carefully, look at his face.

His face wasn't actually that handsome.

He was far inferior to the noble young men she had met before.

but……

It's very pleasing to the eye.

There's something indescribable about his eyes and brows.

It's not gentle, not cold, and not resolute.

Rather, it is a kind of...

She couldn't explain it clearly.

It's like the calm that comes after experiencing too much.

As Elvia watched, her face grew even redder.

She didn't expect it.

This guy actually slept with her.

From the capital of Carter to Dragonbone, the guy who rejected her all the way.

It actually happened...

They took care of her.

She used to use force, and he resisted it so much.

Push her away, hit her with a brick, or even use a stun spell.

He just wouldn't touch her.

As a result, she offered herself to him, and that's how he...

Accepted?

Elvia bit her lip.

There was an indescribable feeling in my heart.

I'm a little embarrassed.

I'm a little annoyed.

There's still a bit...

She dared not think about it.

The more she looked, the faster her heart raced.

As royalty in the Carter capital.

She had witnessed far too much of the decadent lifestyle of the aristocracy.

Those banquets, those scenes of debauchery and savagery, those unspeakable sights.

She's seen it all.

She thought she was already used to it.

He also considers himself a seasoned driver with zero experience.

I thought I wouldn't have any particular reaction to this kind of thing.

but……

When it really came down to it, I was actually...

She became innocent.

She didn't know why either.

Perhaps because...

Those images began to surface in my mind.

Not last night.

It was earlier than that.

The Hero's Tomb unites against the Knights of John.

At the wedding banquet in Carter's capital, he held her hand and twirled her in a spell.

During their escape from the Withered Rift, he rescued her from the devil's jaws, covered in blood.

In the terror of the Black Tide, he tore through space and pulled her back from the brink of death.

Scene after scene.

Like a revolving lantern, it goes around in my mind.

And those arguments.

In Caran, she called him a "madman".

In Carter's capital, he called her a "cowardly princess."

On the airship, she was so frightened that she clung to him, and he said expressionlessly, "Hold on tight."

It was noisy and disruptive.

From the city of Caran to the capital of Carter.

From the capital of Carter to Dragonbone.

It was all the way.

She thought that her feelings for Lin Gui were just a form of exploitation.

No, she was sure.

She approached him starting in the city of Kalan because of the devil's poisonous kiss.

King Carter approached him in order to gain his protection.

It's also because of his abilities.

After all, it's no exaggeration to say...

To have him is almost like having a ticket to the throne.

So she kept trying to woo Lin Gui.

Completely devoid of emotion, driven solely by self-interest.

She was never a good person.

She is a politician.

A princess who would stop at nothing to survive.

She is a lioness with no foundation who managed to make it to the final rounds of the throne.

So when Lin Gui asked her why she changed her mind and wanted to join him.

Her reason was that she couldn't bear the hardship of crossing the wilderness.

I don't want to lose my carefree, extravagant lifestyle.

She could accept losing her power as a princess, but she couldn't accept living a miserable life like an adventurer.

That is indeed one of the reasons.

But not all.

The real reason...

Elvia stared at Lin Gui's sleeping face, her blushing face and pounding heart telling her the truth before she even realized it.

She let out a soft breath.

Then, it moved.

She propped herself up, and the blanket slipped off her shoulders.

The morning light fell on her collarbone and her shoulders.

She peered at Lin Gui.

His face was so close that I could see the curve of his eyelashes.

So close I could feel the temperature of his breath.

She tilted her head slightly.

Her lips moved gently closer to his.

Then......

Those eyes opened.

His black pupils looked at her calmly.

There was no fluctuation.

Elvia paused in her movements.

But only for a moment.

A slow smile curved her lips.

That was a charming smile.

With a hint of languor, a hint of provocation, and a hint of... indescribable emotion.

Good morning.

Her voice was soft, with a morning hoarseness.

"Mr. Accomplice."

Lin Gui looked at her.

The morning light shone through the gaps in the curtains and fell on her face.

His long, golden hair fell over his shoulders, with a few strands reaching his chest.

Her eyes were golden, like melted amber in the light.

Her lips were slightly upturned, carrying a smile.

Below the collarbone, the blanket barely covered her.

That arc was faintly visible.

She perched above him, looking down at him.

Like a lazy female leopard.

Lin Gui blinked and replied calmly.

"Good morning."

Elvia chuckled softly, drawing circles on his chest with her finger:

"Let me ask you a question."

"Um."

"You have rejected me time and again—"

Her fingers stopped, and she looked up at him.

"Why are you being so compliant this time?"

Lin Gui remained silent for a while.

He looked into Elvia's golden eyes, and into his own reflection.

Then he spoke, his voice calm:

"First, I need help."

"Help me get the post office running."

Elvia chuckled softly:

"uh-huh."

"Secondly, I need your abilities."

Lin Gui's voice was calm, as if he were stating a fact.

"Whether it's dealing with nobles..."

"Protect me while I rest in the wilderness."

"We'll still extract information about the city-state from my post office customers."

Elvia's eyes lit up.

She nodded suddenly, drawing out the words:

"Ah~~"

"So that's why you opened a post office to deliver mail."

She tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"But it's a bit of a detour."

"If we're just trying to extract information from them—"

"There's absolutely no need to risk your life to deliver the message."

"Well, never mind."

She shrugged.

On her first night together, just after waking up, Elvia didn't want to talk about those things yet.

Those things that you don't really want to face.

"We'll talk about it later."

Then she leaned closer, her voice even softer:

"And then what?"

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Lin Gui looked at her.

The morning light cast a pale golden hue on her face.

That stunningly beautiful face held a cautious anticipation.

Like a child waiting for an answer to a confession.

Lin Gui sighed, his tone carrying an indescribable helplessness:

"at last--"

He paused.

"Since we've already decided to involve you..."

"I don't want to face the enemy again—"

"We also need to be wary of our teammates' sneak attacks."

When he said the word "sneak attack," his tone was clearly filled with resentment.

Elvia blinked.

Then her expression changed from expectation to confusion.

Confusion turned into rigidity.

She recalled the things she had done before.

In a hotel in Carter's capital, she prepared to drug Lin Gui.

On the balcony of the inn in Dragonbone City, she pounced on him and pinned him down in a chair.

And there was the plan I devised for Shia before she left... In Dragonbone City, I heard that Shia actually succeeded...

Every time, it was when he was seriously injured or weak.

Every time, I wanted to "ambush" him.

Elvia's lips twitched.

Her expression became very subtle.

"Just because of that?"

Lin Gui looked at her, his eyes calm:

"Isn't this reason enough?"

Elvia cursed Lin Gui, that guy who got the benefit but acted innocent.

She was still hoping for an answer that the other person would be infatuated with her.

Even if it weren't for that, Elvia could accept it simply because she couldn't resist the allure of her own captivating body.

But who knew it would be this?

Just because they didn't want to guard against a sneak attack along the way?

Well, if she really had the chance, Elvia would almost certainly have pushed him away.

But... these are things you should say to your own woman.

Elvia snorted coldly, her face unpleasant.

"You won't be able to get into my bed for a week."

"Who slept with whom?"

Elvia's face darkened further.

"What an insensitive guy."

"If you admit your mistake honestly, I might even take you back."

Elvia rolled out of bed while complaining.

Barefoot on the floor, she bent down to pick up the clothes she had stuffed under the bed last night.

The morning light peeked through the gaps in the curtains and fell on her back.

Her movements were quick, as if she was deliberately avoiding looking at Lin Gui.

Put on the shirt and button it up.

I picked up the skirt, shook it out, and slipped it on.

Put on your coat and straighten your collar.

Lin Gui also sat up.

He picked up his robe from beside the bed, unfolded it, and put it on.

The two of them stood back to back, each putting on their own clothes.

No one spoke.

The only sound in the room was the rustling of fabric.

And the occasional sound of footsteps from the distant street outside the window.

Alvia got dressed, stood by the bed, and smoothed her hair with her hand.

She didn't turn around.

Lin Gui was dressed and sat on the edge of the bed, putting on his boots.

He lowered his head and tied his shoelaces.

Then, from an angle that Elvia cannot see.

His eyes have changed.

A faint gray tinge appeared deep within his pupils.

The gray was very light, like mist or dust.

But something was flowing within that grayness.

It is the Eye of the Underworld.

He raised his hand, and a very faint, transparent luster gathered at his fingertips.

The luster was very faint, like a layer of water film adhering to the skin.

Soul Possession Technique.

Basic soul magic.

It can give the soul a tangible, physical feel.

Lin Gui's gaze fell between himself and Elvia.

There is a line there.

It's very fine and very light.

The color is light red, like diluted fresh blood.

One end was connected to Elvia's heart, and the other end was connected to his heart.

The thread was soft, swaying slightly in the air.

Like a thread being blown by the wind.

Lin Gui stared at the thread and remained silent for a while.

He didn't tell Elvia.

There was another crucial reason why he didn't reject her.

He used to not want to get involved with women.

It wasn't because he was aloof, it wasn't because he was indifferent, and it certainly wasn't... because he was impotent.

It was because he was afraid.

He feared that if he failed, his enemies would use the Soul Line to wipe out everyone connected to him.

Those sitting in the Alliance Council, those who control the Black Dragon Army.

They have too many tricks up their sleeves.

Soul tracking, bloodline tracing, divination and prophecy.

As long as you are associated with him, as long as your souls have intertwined.

Those people can then follow this line to find the other party.

Then, kill.

That's why Shia's love was so obvious.

It was obvious that she had pounced on him in the treehouse and succeeded.

He never gave her any indication of his opinion.

It's not that he's ungrateful.

Rather, it's that he doesn't dare.

He dared not tie Shea to his boat.

He dared not let her fall into an abyss because of him.

He thought that his revenge would most likely be a solitary endeavor.

But he didn't expect that.

The appearance of the Soul Possession Technique dispelled his concerns.

This is a basic spell, this seemingly useless ability.

It can even give the soul a tangible, physical feel.

It also allows him to touch and destroy the line.

Lin Gui raised his hand.

The transparent luster on the fingertips slowly approached that pale red soul line.

The line trembled the instant it was touched.

Like a string on a musical instrument plucked by the wind, it vibrates silently.

That tremor traveled from his fingertips into his body.

It's very light.

It felt like a feather falling on my heart.

The voice of Shadow Blade Lin rang in his mind:

"Is this the magic you used to deactivate my soul bomb?"

Her voice was calm, but with a hint of inquiry.

"right."

"A basic spell."

Lin Gui spoke in a very calm tone, as if he were talking about something very common.

"As a spirit, Lady Shadowblade Lin is born with this ability."

"Then it's not surprising that such magic exists, right?"

Shadow Blade Lin remained silent.

long time.

So long that Lin Gui thought she would never speak again.

Then her voice rang out again, carrying a hint of indescribable emotion:

"You want to cut it off?"

"in the case of."

"I suggest you don't cut it."

Lin Gui's fingers paused for a moment.

Shadow Blade Lin continued:

"This kind of soul line is called..."

"Romance Line".

"It lasted a very long time."

"And it will not be affected by physical barriers, enchantments, or other interference."

Her voice was calm, as if she were reciting a passage of knowledge that she already knew by heart.

"If you separate."

"You can find her quickly using this, without having to go through so much trouble like you would in the heart of the Kuroshio."

"At the same time, it can also be achieved through the state of the soul line..."

"Assess the other party's condition."

"To be alive, to be dead, to be healthy, to be dying."

She paused.

"This is an effect that hair and blood cannot achieve."

Lin Gui remained silent for a while.

He knows these things.

He has done a lot of research on soul magic, his greatest enemy.

I have read many books and consulted many resources.

I have learned a lot about the soul.

However, compared to Shadow Blade Lin, he still couldn't compare.

Before he died, the other party was a soul mage.

He is someone who stands at the top of this field.

Her words are more credible than any book.

Lin Gui slowly lowered his hand.

The transparent sheen on my fingertips has vanished.

The gray pupils returned to black.

He glanced at the pale red soul line.

The line floated gently in the air, as if nothing had happened.

He looked back.

A commotion arose downstairs.

It wasn't just an ordinary passerby walking by.

There are many people.

The footsteps were hurried and chaotic.

There were also voices mixed in, but it was impossible to hear what they were saying, though their tone was very hurried.

Then......

dong dong dong.

knocking.

It's very heavy.

Lin Gui frowned.

This is not the time when the post office is open.

He stood up and walked to the window.

I opened the window and peered down.

It was a knightly order...